Inserting Fun Things into Your Word 2003 Document

Word comes with a host of teensy-tiny little programs that let you insert fun and odd objects into your document, spicing up what would otherwise be dull text. The following sections provide merely a whirlwind tour of the most popular teensy-tiny little programs. You're encouraged to play with each program on your own to get the proper feel.

Slapping down an AutoShape

AutoShapes are simple images that may come in handy in your document. They're stars, moons, diamonds, green clovers, and other goodies that anyone can "draw" because they're automatically drawn for you!

In Figure 1, the AutoShape image is the cartoon bubble. A click of the mouse in the AutoShape image area and a quick type of the text placed the words right in the bubble.

To insert a random or useful shape, choose Insert --> Picture --> AutoShapes. The AutoShapes toolbar appears, as shown in Figure 1. (Also, you're thrown into Print Layout view if you're not there already.)

Each button on the AutoShapes toolbar represents a drop-down menu of shapes. Choose one. The mouse pointer changes to a plus sign. Now, "draw" the shape in your document by dragging the mouse. This technique creates the shape at a certain size and position, though you can resize the shape or move it later if you like.

• To move an AutoShape image, point the mouse at the image until the mouse pointer changes to a four-way arrow thing. Then drag the image to another spot on the page.

• The AutoShape can be resized or stretched by dragging one of the eight "handles" that appear on its corners and sides when the shape is selected.

• The special green handle on top of an AutoShape image is used to rotate the image.

• Yellow handles can be moved independently of other parts of the AutoShape image, such as adjusting the arrow for the cartoon bubble in Figure 1.

• Not all AutoShape images are text boxes, such as the one shown in Figure 1.

Love that WordArt

Of all things in Word, some people find WordArt to be the most useful, best fun, and biggest time-waster. When a Word user discovers WordArt, all hell breaks loose.

To put WordArt into your document, choose the Insert --> Picture --> WordArt. The WordArt Gallery dialog box appears, showing you the colors and variety of WordArt you can create and looking much like a lipstick display at a cosmetics counter (see Figure 2).

Choose the style for your WordArt from the gallery; then click OK.

In the Edit WordArt Text dialog box, type the (short and sweet) text you want WordArtified. Choose a font, size, and maybe bold or italics — you know the drill. Click OK when you're done, and that bit of text appears as an image in your document.

• To edit the WordArt, click it once. This displays the WordArt toolbar, which you can use to further mess with the image.

• Like other graphics in your document, WordArt appears wherever the toothpick cursor lurks. So, if you want to "float" the WordArt around your text, use the Text Wrapping button on the WordArt toolbar.

• Click the Edit Text button to return to the Edit WordArt Text dialog box to change the WordArt text, font, size, and so on. Click OK when you're done.

• The WordArt Shape button displays a drop-down list of different layouts for your WordArt text — a more detailed version than you can find in the WordArt Gallery. Just select a shape, and your WordArt text is reformatted to fit into that shape.

Scribbling in Word

Word sports a special Drawing mode that enables you to insert circles, lines, arrows, and other blocky artwork at your whim. Inserting artwork could be the subject of an entire book, but here's some barebones information to get you started.

To activate Word's drawing mode, click the Drawing button on the Standard toolbar. (You can also choose View --> Toolbars --> Drawing from the menu.) This action musters the Drawing mode toolbar that contains various drawing buttons, commands, options, and pop-up menus, typically appearing near the bottom of Word's window.

The Drawing toolbar is divided into several areas. The middle area contains tools you can use to draw various lines, arrows, squares, and circles. The right area contains controls for colors, line width, and three-dimensional effects.

Oh, go ahead and play.

• The Drawing tools are good but best used for simple illustrations. If you need complex or detailed drawings, pick up a nice illustration package for your computer. Consult the guy at the software store for more information.

• One thing the Drawing tools should not be used for is creating an organizational chart or similar structure. For that use the Insert --> Picture --> Organization Chart command.

• When your drawing is in your document, it behaves like any other graphic.

• The Drawing toolbar may automatically appear from time to time, depending on what you're doing in Word. It doesn't automatically go away, unfortunately, which means that it needlessly occupies screen space. To remove the Drawing toolbar, click on the X (close) button in the upper-right corner, or choose View --> Toolbars --> Drawing from the menu.